National Merit Finalists

Congratulations to OPHS National Merit Finalists:Brandon Camhi, Allison Dodds, Stefan Kim, AngelaLin, Amir Mohammadzadeh, Isabella Sayyah, andMoe Scott. All seven of Oak Park High’s NationalMerit Semifinalists have been named National MeritFinalists. This is a remarkable achievement and veryrare that all of the semi-finalists make it to becomefinalists. These students are considered in top 1% ofhigh school seniors in the nation out of 1.3 millionstudents. To become a Finalist, Semifinalists musthave an outstanding academic record throughout highschool, be endorsed and recommended by the highschool principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm thestudent’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.The Semifinalist must submit a detailed scholarshipapplication, which includes an essay and informationabout the Semifinalist’s participation and leadership inschool and community activities.

Homer Dickerson Youth Ethics Contest

The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village RegionalChamber of Commerce joined the Westlake VillageRotary Club to sponsor the Homer Dickerson YouthLeadership and Ethics Forum; a program that helpshigh school students explore issues related to businessethnics and leadership qualities. The followingstudents were selected as finalists for the HomerDickerson Youth Ethics Contest and attended theconference held at the Ronald Reagan PresidentialLibrary: Allen Lu, Eric Jones, Avyay Panchapakesan,Morgan McIntyre; Aaron Schroeder; Meril Arik;Austin Perksy, Amy Zhao, Sai Maddali, Justin Camhi,and Michelle Smolarski. OPHS Junior Justin Camhi,won the first place award Thursday for his submissionto the dilemma scenario contest and Alex Kim,OPHS Junior, received second place.

The Principal’s Message

pfc newsletterO A K P A R K H I G H S C H O O LMarch 2012 www.oakparkusd.org/ophs

OPHS Organic Garden

The OPHS organic garden is ready for Springplanting. The potable water has been hooked up andthe drip-irrigation system is about to be installed. Thegates have been fixed to secure the area and a critterfence installed. The trees have been trimmed to allowmore sunlight into the area. The OPHS Garden Clubhas received donations of tools and equipment fromthe community. Kellogg donated another 180 bags ofcertified organic soil, and an OPHS student built theraised beds as part of his Eagle Scout project. Amemorial bench to commemorate John Belingaire,who helped build the garden and passed away recently,will be moved in in the upcoming days. Our woodshop will engrave a plaque for the bench.

CIF Basketball Playoffs

Congratulations to both Girls and Boys VarsityBasketball teams who reached the finals of theCalifornia Interscholastic Federation Southern Sectionplayoffs at the Anaheim Convention Center the firstweek of March. The boys beat St. John Bosco HighSchool and the girls beat Atascadero High School inthe semifinals and it is a proud accomplishment tohave two teams reach CIF finals.

CongratulationsCongratulationsto all ourto all our

Talented Eagles!Talented Eagles!

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Mar. 1 Open House, 6:30 pm, Pav.Mar. 2 Fine Arts Assembly, GymMar. 2 Chinese Cultural Night, 7 pm, Pav.Mar. 3-4 Catalyst Boot Camp, 9 amMar. 5-9 Acceptance WeekMar. 5 Depression Awareness, 7:00 pm, Pav.Mar. 6 OPPAA Meeting, 7 pm, B-2Mar. 7 Highly Selective Colleges, 6:30 pm, Pav.Mar. 9 Comedy Sportz, 7 pm, Pav.Mar. 11 Girls’ Bsktball Awards Banquet, 11 am, Pav.Mar. 11 Boys’ Bsktball Awards Banquet, 6 pm, Pav.Mar. 13 Site Council Meeting, 3:30 pm, Lib. CRMar. 14 Girls’ Soccer Awards Banquet, 6 pm, Pav.Mar. 15 Future Freshman Night, 6:30 pm, Pav.Mar. 16 Barbershop Mania, 7 pm, Pav.Mar. 17 Peer Counseling Workshop, 8 am, PavMar. 18 ASB Carwash, 9 amMar. 19 Staff Development Day - NO SCHOOLMar. 20 Board of Education Meeting, 6 pm, G-9Mar. 22 Mr. Eagle Pageant, 7 pm, Pav.Mar. 23 Comedy Sportz, 7 pm, Pav.Mar. 23 ASB Dodgball Tourney, 6 pmMar. 29-31 Spring Musical, 7 pm, Pav.Mar. 31 Spring Musical, 2 pm, Pav.

Nutr. = Nutrition, Pav. = Pavilion Lib. CR = Library Conference RoomCCC = College & Career Center

See complete listings for athletic eventsand more on the OPHS Master Calendar!

It’s easy as 1-2-3!1. Click here or go to…www.oakparkusd.org/ophs.2. Hover your mouse on “Calendars” in the yellowmenu bar and select Master Calendar from thedrop down menu or select the athletic team schedule you wish to view.3. If you selected Master Calendar, click on any event listed for more information!

Campus Calendar, News & Notes

Don’t miss

Open HouseOpen House

Thursday, March 1st

6:30 pm

OPHS Pavilion

Click Here forFreshman Advisement &

General Course Selection Procedure

OPHS Drama Departmentproudly presents

Thoroughly Modern MillieThoroughly Modern MillieDirected by Alan Hunt

Don’t miss this fabulous production!

This will be the last time you cansee some of our actors on the

OPHS Stage!!

You’ll want to see it so you can say:“I knew them when…”

CLICK HEREfor ticket information

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O P H S T H A N K SJoAnn Tattersall, Kelly McGugan &

The Tattersall Team of Active Real Estate

Kelly McGuganTattersall Team

Cell: 818.207.7408www.tattersallteam.com

JoAnn Tattersall & Kelly McGugan sponsor Oak Park High School’s “All Call,” our computerized phone system -

A vital link to our OPHS families!

JoAnn TattersallBroker/Owner, GRI, SFR

Cell: 818.370.7688www.tattersallteam.com

Don’t Miss Comedy Sportz!

There are TWO, (yes, 2) Opportunities to Attend This Month!!

Friday, March 9th, 7 pmPavilion

AND

Friday, March 23rd, 7 pmPavilion

Ticket Prices: $5 for adults & $3 for studentsRefreshments will be available for sale!

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PFC Update

President’s LetterOpen House will be Thursday, March 1st, 6:30pm

in the Pavilion. I look forward to seeing you there. A warm welcome to the following who will be

joining , our PFC Team next school year. Lydia Saraviswill be our VP Fundraising, Leslie Medina who will bethe PFC Membership Chair and Maureen Frey whowill chair the Senior Breakfast.

We are still looking for a few more parents to helpand volunteer. The following positions remain open: Treasurer (Board position):This person is responsiblefor the recording of all income and expenses of theOPHS PFC, and maintaining appropriate paper work.This person is also expected to attend a monthly PFCBoard meeting and General Meeting. Disaster Preparedness Co-Chair: This person workswith the current chair and then takes over the positionduring the 2013/2014 school year. Inventory needs tobe updated, bought and dispersed to the correctlocations around campus. E-Scrip Coordinator: This person helps sign up newapplications, updates old applications and works withthe stores. Adult Enrichment: This person works with theadministration to set up classes and registration for thisprogram.

This month is filled with opportunities tostrengthen your student’s performances on the SAT andACT. March 3th and 4th we have Catalyst on campuswith their SAT Boot Camp! Enroll your student forthe two day workshop that will teach them invaluabletechniques to improve their score! On March 24th,Chyten will be on campus for a MOCK ACT – sign upyour student to get some practice with this exam.

Even though we are not in April/May yet, I amhappy to announce that the OPHS PFC has addedsome exciting events to the calendar.

ACT Bootcamp on April 28th & 29thWomen’s Self Defense class May 5th

Spring College Writing seminar May 19thSenior Art Students (Digital, Fine Art, 3-D) - make

sure to submit a piece of art for the PFC ArtScholarships!! Please turn in all art to Mrs. Lovejoy byApril 18th. Also, don’t forget we have eight $500 PFCAcademic scholarships to award. Application Deadlineis April 18th.

Our next PFC General Meeting will beMarch 9th,at 10am in the Library Conference room. There will bea presentation on Summer School at OPHS and aQ&A session for parents. There will also be a shortpresentation on summer alternative programs for highschool students. All parents are encouraged to attend.

– Regards,

Gillian Miller,

OPHS PFC President

Eagles

Rock!Eagles

Rock!

ATTENTION to those who will take the SAT on March 10!!

The OPHS PFC, in partnership with Catalyst, brings you the SAT Bootcamp. With Catalyst's SATBootcamp, you'll arm yourself with strategies for every type of question that will be on the test. Learn how to avoid the most common traps and discover how to write a perfect score essay!

Classes will be held on Saturday, March 3 and Sunday, March 4th, 9 am - 1 pm on both days.Cost is $165. Proceeds benefit OPHS PFC. Advance sign-up required. Click here to read more.

The OPHS PFC is offering the MOCK ACT in partnership with Chyten on Saturday, March 24.

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Superintendent’s Message

Last month I wrote to you about the bad news in theGovernor’s proposal for schools for next year and sincethen we have been able to quantify it for Oak Park. Hereare the figures:

If the Governor’s tax initiative PASSES in November,OPUSD will need to cut $1.3 million from our budget. If the Governor’s tax initiative DOES NOT PASS inNovember, OPUSD will need to cut $2.8 million from ourbudget.

The reason for the bad news is that even if theinitiative passes, it proposes ‘flat’ funding for next year forschool districts. The problem with that is that mostdistricts, including this one, are running ‘structuraldeficits,’ or we are relying on one-time funds and carry-over monies to make it through each year. Our structuraldeficit is $930,000. Last school year, for example, wecarried forward $654,000 of Education Jobs Act fundingfrom the federal government that helped us into this year.Those funds will be fully expended this year keeping theclass sizes, programs, and length of the school year inplace. In fact, we expect to end the year by exhausting ourgeneral fund and using $430,000 from our mandatedReserve for Economic Uncertainties, which will lower thatfund to just 1.7%. The legal mandate in the past for thereserve was 3%, but it has recently been lowered to 1%.This year we were forced to file a ‘qualified’ at our FirstInterim Budget Report, one of 120 school districts in thestate to do so. This means that we may not be able to meetour financial obligations this year and must be under morecareful scrutiny by the County Office of Education. Thisis the first time that OPUSD has not filed ‘positive.’ Weare certain that we will be able to meet our obligations atthis time but at the time the filing was required we werenot. I think that this does help illustrate the financialstrain that school districts are facing.

In order to meet the challenges for next year, theBoard has raised our enrollment capacities for District ofChoice students. Adding students where we have roombrings additional revenue to the school district above thecost of educating these students. As you know, this is oneof the ways that we have been able to avoid catastrophiccuts over the last five years. Overall, we will move from a

current enrollment of 4211 to 4427 in the fall, or anincrease of 216 students. Note that we are currentlystaffed for our projected enrollment for this year of 4250so this is actually a net increase of 177 students.

However, the cuts that are proposed are too great tocover by increasing our enrollment. The Class SizeReduction program for grades K-3 is basically beingeliminated next year. Districts that intend to keep theprogram in place will have to make the choice of cuttingsomething else or raising class sizes at other grade levels asmost school district have already done. Our class sizes inK-3 will need to move up from the current 25:1 to 28:1next year. Class size ratios in grades 4 and 5 will remainthe same. Teacher/student ratios at MCMS will move upslightly from 31.5:1 to 32:1 and at OPHS from 32:1 to33:1. This will save us $640,000 and can be applied to thecuts outlined above. If you’re doing the math, you will seethat doesn’t fill the entire gap.

We will be completing a Reduction in Force in Marchso that options will remain open to us as the budgetpicture unfolds. School districts are required by law tonotify teachers and administrators by March 15 if theymight be laid off in the coming year.

Other options for next year will certainly include areduction in the days of the school year. Currently,districts can shave up to 12 days off the 180-day schoolyear and the proposal for next year is to allow a reductionof up to 27 days. Note that already, students in Californiaattend school less days per year than in most states andnearly all developed nations. The norm in most states andin Europe is 190 days and in Asian nations it is 210 ormore. Imagine California students only attending 153days.

If that is not enough, we are learning about a newlyproposed Weighted Student Formula that will reallocatefunds to school districts based on the number of childrenwho are English Learners or those being served in theFederal Free and Reduced Lunch program. We have smallnumbers of these students in Oak Park and would take asignificant funding hit. We do not view this as a goodtime to undertake such a ‘reform’ of education funding,one that will leave districts that serve suburban children

Continued on page 7

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Coming Events at OPHS – don’t miss out!

Don’t Miss The Next OPHS MusicalT h o r o u g h l y M o d e r n M i l l i e

March 29 - 31, 2012Click Here for Ticket Information

Future Freshman NightMarch 15th, 2012, Pavilion

Click Here for Freshman Advisement Information

A c c e p t a n c e We e kMarch 5 - 9, 2012

Depression Awareness SeminarMarch 5th, 7 pm, Pavilion

Presented by OPHS Adv. Peer Counseling

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No Frills Donations AppreciatedThank you to the following families for their generous donations to our 2011 No Frills Campaign. Without theircontributions, the PFC could not continue to support Oak Park High School teachers and students.

AggarwalAhdootS. AndersonV. AndersonW. AndersonAnninoAppelrouthArshtAsherAviramAxelrodeBagamianBalenBartolomeaBearBelangerBelicheskyBensonBermanBernerBittonBoganimBrand

Briton-JonesL. BrownR. BrownBuckleyBussByrneL. CamhiCarrilloCatoneChandramohanChasinCheneyChrysiliouChiuClarkClaxtonClearyJeff CohenJordan CohenLeslie CohenLinda CohenCookCorbitt

CoufalCovertDarlingDelgadoDininoDoheneyDolabsonDuerfeldtDunlayEichstadtFeemsterFieldsFisherFongFordFreyGalaifGarbGebhardGeeGeldinGerberGhaffari

GoldsteinGordonGorelikGreenGronichGunnHainesHarrisHassaniehHedlundM. HelfordS. HelfordHileHirschHolmesHorwitzHotchkissJamisonJassoJhaJohnsonKalmanovichKatz

Continued on next page

Vo lu nte e r s Ne e d e d ! ! ! !Vo lu nte e r s Ne e d e d ! ! ! !Collate and Assemble STAR Test Materials

For OPUSD Students Grades 2-11

April 16-20, 2012

Daily Shifts: 8:30-9:30 am, 9:30-10:30 am, 10:30-11:30 am.

Work involves matching preprinted booklet names to class roster lists, and

counting/separating materials by classroom.

Volunteers meet in the warehouse of the District Office, at the back parking lot.

Bring your coffee and reading glasses!

If you can help for one or more hours,

contact Linda O'Gara at logara@oakparkusd.org and indicate date and time

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No Frills Donations AppreciatedThe PFC would like to thank the following families for their contribution to the No Frills Campaign.

Continued from page 6

KhawKiernanKopeckyKristensenKubikLaifmanLamLambLevinLevineLezakLindenauLitvakLiuLouieLuMamrothMandellMaholchicMarshallMcCleeryMertzelMeyerMilesMillerMogaveroMoghimi

MoshkovichMoriartyMouzayaMyersT. MyersMyersonNathansonNeimanNiemerowNigamNguyenOjalvoS. OrensOrnsteinPauleM. PhillipsR. PhillipsPiurkowskyPowersRedaResnickRifkinRinkovRosenRuttenSadwickSalinger

Santa CruzSantiagoSaravisSandersSaucedoSchaferJ. SchapiroSchlatterSchroederScheimanM. SchwartzK. SearsSeeganShaevitzShiresShortsSilverstoneSimonsSimmonsSklarL. SmithS. SmithSteinhardtStutzL. SnyderT. SnyderD. Stark

J. StarkStevensSwedelsonTaylorThedingaTobiasTooTorigianTreitmanUckerVermaWagonerWaldmanWalshWangWayneWelinWheatleyWhiteleyWiederspahnWooWuWulfYeomanYipZaitlen

Click Here to use PayPal to make your No Frills Donation!

with fewer resources, larger class sizes, shorter schoolyears, etc.

Board president, Jan Iceland and I are setting upmeetings with our state representatives to talk aboutthese issues and share our concerns. I will keep youinformed about what we learn.

We keep hoping that the slowly improving economywill begin to have a positive impact on our funding, butit is important to understand that the reduction inrevenues to public schools over the last three years in

California has been a record $18 billion. It will take moretime for us to see a reversal.

Thank you for reading this rather lengthy narrative. Iappreciate you taking the time to grasp the seriousness ofthe situation and its many complexities.

— Anthony W. Knight, Ed.D.Superintendent

Superintendants Message, Continued from page 5

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THOROUGHLYMODERN MILLIE

Directed byALLAN HUNT

OPHS Performing Arts Program Presents

March 29 - 31, 2012OPHS PAVILION

7p Nightly / Sat. Matinee 2p

OPHS Per ming AforOPHS Per ogram Prrts Prming A esentsogram PresentsOPHS Per ming AforOPHS Per ogram Prrts Prming A esentsogram Presents

THOROUGHLMODERN THOROUGHLMODERN MILLIETHOROUGHLYTHOROUGHLTHOROUGHLY

MILLIEected byDir

ALLAN HUNT

ch 29 - 31, 2012March 29 - 31, 2012ch 29 - 31, 2012ch 29 - 31, 2012ch 29 - 31, 2012MarOPHS P

7p Nightly / Sat. Matinee 2p

ch 29 - 31, 2012VILIONAAVILIONOPHS P

7p Nightly / Sat. Matinee 2p

ch 29 - 31, 2012ch 29 - 31, 2012VILIONVILION

7p Nightly / Sat. Matinee 2p7p Nightly / Sat. Matinee 2p

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Congratulations to our winter sports teams forcompeting successfully and having great seasons at alllevels!! A special congratulations and good luck to ourboys and girls varsity basketball teams who, at the timeof this writing, have made it to the CIF FINALS!!This is a HUGE accomplishment and something theentire community of Oak Park can be proud of!! Afterthe Southern Section final games this week, there is agreat chance of both teams qualifying for the statetournament which takes place the first couple weeks ofMarch. Please watch our web site for details onwhen/where our teams play.

Right on the heels of successful winter sports season,spring sports are up and running. The following sportsare offered at Oak Park and the head coach of eachsport is listed below:

Baseball Scott HallSoftball Roger NewellTrack & Field Marc MinasianBoys Tennis Tim Schnaible &

Carl JoyceBoys Volleyball Patrick QuinnGolf Bruce BeckGirls Lacrosse Courtney SchneckBoys Lacrosse Tarik Ergin

Schedules of all our spring sports are located on theOPHS web site under athletics. Please come out andsupport our teams and as always, if you have anyquestions, contact the Athletic Directors at 818-735-3303 or apettit@oakparkusd.org

- Ann Pettit and Dick Billingsley, Co-Athletic Directors

Eagle Athletics Update

You can learn

safe driving skills

AND

Help Oak Park High School

achieve their fundraising goals!

Enroll & complete one of the following state-approved courses:

Teenage Driver Ed: Complete this course to

receive your DMV Drivers Education certifi-cate. Competitively priced at $70.00 for this 30hour course.

CA Traffic School: Got a traffic ticket? Go

online and forget going to class. This 8 hourcourse is only $24.95 and is available in Englishor Spanish.

Mature Insurance Reduction Program:Specially designed for drivers 55 and older, thisInsurance Reduction course provides a state-mandatory three year discount on your autoinsurance. Only $19.95 for the first time and$17.95 for the renewal course!

40% of All Completed

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P Completely Online

P Take at Your Own Pace

P 24/7 Customer Service

P Safe & Secure Site

P Over One Million Served

P Money Back Guarantee

www.idrivesafely.com/ca-oak

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Oak Park High School PFC Newsletter published monthly September - June

by the OPHS Parent Faculty Club (PFC)for families of Oak Park High School

students.

Oak Park High School • Oak Park Unified School District

Principal: Kevin Buchanan899 N. Kanan Road, Oak Park, CA 91377

OPHS Main Line: 735-3300 Attendance/Temp. Off Campus Pass Line: 735-3311

(please call before 9 a.m.)

PFC President: Barbara Vaswani 818-707-6181

Newsletter Editor: Suzie Bock bockgraphx@sbcglobal.net 818-970-5251

eNews Editor: Uma Narayanan umasaa@yahoo.com 818-707-3124

www.oakparkusd.org/ophs • www.oakparkusd.org

Mark your CalendarsFriday, March 16, 2012, 9:00am

District Office-Conference Room5801 E. Conifer Street

General Committee MeetingOpen to the public – everyone is welcome

For more information contact:Connie Risley, SEAC President, rcarmail-

cpr@yahoo.com, 818-585-0523Darla Christensen, SEAC Publicity andOutreach, darlachristensen@hotmail.com

818-597-1246

What about Summer School?What about Summer School?

Friends of Oak Park Schools

Will Save The Day!!!!

See Page 14 for more details.More information at OPHSMore information at OPHSOpen House on March 1st.Open House on March 1st.

This year’s OPHS Outdoor Festival,Oakchella, will be held on Saturday, April21st, 3 - 8 pm. Professional judges will beselecting the bands and special performing actsthis year. Last year’s event was a huge success, with

bands such as Bromley and Jetstream perform-ing, among other wonderful acts and perform-ers. Advance tickets will be sold the weekbefore for $10, tickets at the door will be $15. Food will be available for purchase. Bring

your blankets and beach chairs.For more information, contact Heidi Cissell atNozewiggle@aol.com.

A R oc ki n ’ Fest i val !

PFC Senior Art Scholarship Award

New Submission Guidelines…

Choose from three categories:DigitalFine Art3-D

Enter:1. Fill out the Art Scholarship Form (click here for form)

2. Art must be submitted to Ms. Lovejoy by deadline date to be considered.3. Only three submissions will be accepted per person.

Scholarship Money Will Be Awarded as Follows:$250 will be given to the 1st place winner in each category

ANDAND

An ADDITIONAL $250 will be awarded to the overall first place winner chosenfrom the first place winners in each category - this art will be permanently

displayed in the Oak Park Library.

Not So New…

1. Winners will be notified at the Senior Awards Night2. Current enrollment in an OPHS art class is not required

3. Submissions must be original and unframed.

For more information, please see Ms. Lovejoy, room C8 or

Alka Jha at alkajha@yahoo.com

ARTWORK DEADLINE: April 18, 2012

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Friends of Oak Park Schools is excited to presentour second year of administering the Summer SchoolProgram for OPUSD students. This program isdesigned to enhance your student’seducation experiences and opportunities inour own backyard.

Friends of Oak Park Schools is proudto step in where the cuts in education fromthe state made it impossible for theOPUSD to afford this program.

All classes taken at the high school willbe taught by our Oak Park certified teachers and thecourse/grades will be transferred to the student’stranscripts.

This year's course offerings will include traditionalclasses offered during previous summer school sessions

as well as some new classes never taught before insummer school.

Friends will also have a Middle School SummerSchool Program at Medea Creek!

Classes will commence on Tuesday, June19, 2012.

Class information as well as registrationand impacted class lottery information can befound on the Friends' website at:http://friendsofoakparkschools.org/

If you have any questions or requirefurther information regarding the High School SummerSchool Program, please contact Sharon Russell atSharonOakPark@aol.com.

What better way is there to spend yoursummer.....with "Friends?"

What’s Up With Summer School…?

…Well, You Gotta Have FRIENDS!

Pre-Event Planning/Preparing/Training;Pre-Event Planning/Preparing/Training;

Improves Coping & RecoveryImproves Coping & Recovery

It is easy to forget where we are living while we enjoy great weather and stationary ground beneath

our feet. Now is a GREAT time to improve your disaster plan at home.

Take a look:

• Clean the GARAGE: Household chemicals can become deadly when thrown together

during an earthquake. Ventura County’s Toxic Round-Up: www.wasteless.org

• Replace Emergency Water and Food Stores: Plan 1 gallon per person per day for 2

weeks for drinking and sanitation needs.

• Update First Aid Home and Go Kit: Include emergency supplies of prescription and

over-the-counter medication, plus realistic first aid supplies needed to respond to

injuries and sudden illness.

Get CPR/AED and First Aid Certified!

• Prepare for a Camping Trip: Pack up shelter, clothing, comfort, cooking, and

sanitation supplies.

• Disaster Skill Training: Community Emergency Response Team Training is offered at no

cost through the Ventura County Fire Department to all Ventura County residents 18

and older: http://fire.countyofventura.org. (Click on Community and CERT)

For more information please email: distarzak@sbcglobal.net

15

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17

College News

Continued on next page

Important College Dates & Deadlines for Seniors:March 2nd: This is the deadline to apply for a Cal Grant. The GPA verification forms are available in theCounseling Office and must be submitted to our Registrar, Pat Ramirez for verification prior to March 2nd.

Mid-March: is when most schools begin notifying applicants of acceptance, denial or wait list. The more com-petitive schools like the Ivy Leagues, UC Berkeley and UCLA are usually the last to send notices. Some schoolssend their Financial Award letters together with their offer of admission, some schools send them separately.

Spring Break: Spring Break is the time for Seniors to make final visits to the schools that have made offers ofacceptance. This is also the month students will notify most schools of their decisions. Information about sched-uling trips to UC & CSU campuses can be found at the OPHS Counseling "UC & CSU Admissions" web page.

May 1st: National Commitment Deadline! Students must formally confirm acceptance or declination of anoffer of admission by this date.

May & June: are still critical months for seniors because last semester grades do count! Spring semester classes(that were listed on the student’s admission application) that are dropped or not passed with at least a "C" mayresult in a college rescinding its offer. Most competitive universities expect seniors to maintain at least a 3.0 GPAin the senior year.

What Should Juniors Be Doing Now?

You can view all of the following information at the following link on our website: http://www.oakparkusd.org/Page/1099

Juniors are faced with their most intense academic experience. All OPHS juniors will experience the highexpectations of a college prep curriculum which anticipates that students have begun to emerge as youngadults who are organizing their time and prioritizing their interests in order to put their best foot forward.Besides the challenging coursework, juniors have to pay attention to participating in a testing sequence thatwill enable them to take advantage of the admission options they will encounter as seniors. It is also the timewhen they begin to define their “lists” of colleges that change and evolve over the course of the year.

The “To Do” list for juniors is much more detailed than the first two years of high school:

• Students should be even more focused on their extracurricular activities this year, reaching for leadership and excellent performance in their chosen interests.

• This summer between the junior & senior year is the last opportunity you have to make up any “D” grades you may have earned in college preparatory courses. Remember, even though a “D” earns credit for high school it is unacceptable for most colleges and universities!

• The OPHS Counselors will be putting on a "Junior Class College Advisement" in the spring semester to prepare students further for the upcoming college admissions process in the senior year. This meeting is typically held in February or early March during 7th period in the Pavilion. All college bound juniors should make plans to attend - dates & times will be announced in the school bulletins and on our website.

18

Continued on next page

Continued from previous page

The “To Do” list for juniors is much more detailed than the first two years of high school: (continued)

• Stay organized. During this year, especially after taking the PSAT, colleges will begin to send large amounts of material to you. It helps if you file information alphabetically or by state in a file cabinet or large container.

• The spring of the Junior year is "testing mania" time. This is the time for students to be taking the SAT Reasoning Test and/or the ACT along with the SAT Subject Tests if you plan to apply to a UC. Much more detail follows lower on this web page.

• If you are interested in a military academy or ROTC, the process should begin in the fall of the junior year by contacting your local state representative who has the nomination papers and an outline of the procedures.

• Seriously begin the process of visiting colleges over the summer. Try to incorporate these visits with your family vacations.

College & Career: Become a frequent visitor to the College & Career Center located in C-6, nextdoor to the OPHS Student Store. The center has accumulated many guide books as well as scholar-ship opportunities, post-graduate options, and computers dedicated to college & career searches.

Campus Clubs: It's not too late to get involved with any of our Campus Clubs. They provide stu-dents with a wide range of interests to meet other like-minded students, as well community service& leadership opportunities!

Even if you haven't done much Volunteer or Community service up until now -it's not too late! We have a webpage devoted to community service leadership &volunteer programs

The PSAT: All college bound juniors should have taken the PSAT, which also includes a sectioncalled the “NMSQT” (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). The PSAT is a practice test forthe SAT, but the NMSQT is a separate organization that determines the highest level testers in theUnited States. Qualification at this tier can mean special recognition and scholarship opportunitiesfor students.

SAT & ACT Information: The SAT Reasoning Test and/or the ACT Test shoulddefinitely be taken at least once (preferably twice) during the spring semester of the junior year - usu-ally in April and/or May. There is also a June test date available for SAT test, for those who need aback-up date. However, this date is primarily used for students who need to take the SAT "Subjecttests" (see below). Both the SAT Reasoning Test and the ACT Test are accepted equally by virtuallyevery college & university in the country. Students should go to our "SAT & ACT Information" webpage to learn about the differences between the SAT Reasoning Test and the ACT. You should alsoreview the University of California's Admissions Testing requirements. The ACT offers an "option-al" writing test for those students who will be applying to colleges that require a writing sample testfor admission (such as the UC's). The ACT is always offered on days that don't conflict with the SAT.

SAT Subject Tests: Many colleges & universities require additional tests beyond the SAT or ACT.As a result, many students will also need to take the SAT Subject Tests. For example, most juniors

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will probably be most prepared to take the US History, Math, Chemistry or Literature tests in Juneof this school year. It is an ideal time to take these three tests since it is immediately after final examsand studying for the finals is great preparation for these tests. It is possible to take as many as 3 ofthese Subject Tests in one sitting! Even though the UC's have made these tests optional beginningwith the the class of 2012 it is still highly recommended that students sit for these tests just to keeptheir options open.

Test Preparation: The results of the PSAT come in late December or early January. Based on theresults, students may decide they would like to enroll in a SAT prep course. All students shouldconsider doing some form of test preparation prior to taking the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT inthe spring of their Junior year. At the very least, students should work through one of the many “testprep” books or CD’s that can be purchased at any bookstore. Many of the most reputable testpreparation services are accessible via our "Test Preparation" web page.

University of California and the class of 2012 & beyond To give more stu-dents an opportunity to present their qualifications to UC campuses while

continuing to provide a guarantee of admission to the highest-performing students, the University ofCalifornia Board of Regents approved changes to the University's requirements for freshman admis-sion.

The key differences between past practice and the new freshman eligibility requirements beginningwith the class of 2012.

• SAT Subject Tests are now optional.• All applicants must complete 11 of the 15 "a-g" requirements by the end of their junior year.• Eligibility in the Local Context will increase from 4 percent to 9 percent.

NCAA & College Sports: Athletes who want to play at a NCAA university need to register withthe NCAA, a process called certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse. (This should be done afterthe spring semester of the junior year. The NCAA will also need the grades from the second semes-ter the junior year, as well as a student's SAT scores to complete the certification process). Athletesshould also become familiar with recruiting guidelines which can be found on the NCAA website.Links to both the NCAA & the NAIA can be found at our NCAA link.

EarlyAction/Decision: Juniors should become acquainted with the concepts of Early Decision,Early Action and Regular Decision application options which will be available to them as seniors.This will be especially true if they are applying to private schools, especially the very competitive ones.The dates are very early (some as early as September or October of the senior year). So students willneed to be ready to act quickly! Please refer to the Early Action/Decision link on our website.

Financial Aid & Scholarships: Students should begin having mature conversations with their par-ent(s) about what they observe and hope for in their future. Make sure to address issues like collegelocation and costs. If the cost of a college is a concern, parents & students should log onto one of the

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many websites that will help provide the family “EFC” (estimated family contribution). This is afinancial aid term which means, after evaluating the needs of the family, that the family will be expect-ed to pay “X” amount of money, no matter what the cost of the college. In other words, the family willbe expected to pay, say, $15,000 whether the college costs $16,000 for tuition, room and board or$30,000. These estimates can be helpful prior to submitting applications to unrealistic choices. Seeour "Financial Aid” & "Scholarship" website for more information.

Private, Independent & Highly Selective Colleges: If you'reinterested in Private, Independent, and Highly Selective colleges this page on our website hasinformation specific to the admissions process for these unique types of schools!

If you do not yet have a Naviance passcode contact the College & CareerCenter ASAP. You will need to become very familiar with this program as this will be the primaryvehicle you use to research colleges, careers, request recommendations, and to order transcripts. Inpreparation for the Senior year application process, Juniors should complete/respond to the followingsections: Colleges: resources - This area includes a link for ordering transcripts, as well as a link for inputting yourSAT, ACT & AP scores.college research - Under this bar you will find a range of state-of-the-art research tools to help stu-dents find the right schools for them.

• College search: is the link where students can perform an advanced search for colleges using criteria that matter most to them. Select factors in any or all of the categories to help narrow down a list of colleges that match your interests. At the end of each page, you can either click Show Matches to generate a list OR click Next to continue to pick more factors. You will notice that the number of schools that matche your criteria constantly appears near the top of the page as you move through the selections. If you end up with too many schools on your list and you need to narrow your list, simply select more factors. You should use the Previous button at the bottom of the page if you want to go back to earlier pages/factors. On the other hand, if you end up with too few schools, go back and deselect some of your factors. In order to save your list of colleges, you must save each one. To do this, click the pick link next to that school on your list of generated schools. That school will show up in the Hand-Picked List box. Once you’ve selected all of the schools from your college search that you want to save, click the Add to My Colleges button directly under the box labeled Hand-Picked List box.

• College Match: This tool will allow you to use historical GPA and test score information about students from OPHS and their college applications to match you with colleges that you may want to consider adding to your list. Please note that there are many factors which can affect admissions decisions and the results of this search do NOT guarantee in any way whether or not you will be accepted at a particular college. If a particular college never appears in the results, it may be because no one from Oak Park has ever applied to it.

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• College compare: this tool allows you to compare average grade point averages and test scores for accepted students from OPHS at up to ten colleges. School averages are displayed in green when your number is higher and in red when your number is lower. Your PSAT score, if available, has been converted to the equivalent SAT score and compared to the average single SAT score of an accepted student. The column labeled "Accept" shows the number of students accepted out of the number of students that applied.

• College resources: this link has a comprehensive range of resources on the following topics: College and Careers, Financial Aid, Test Preparation, College Athletics, and the Military.

• Scattergrams: this amazing tool allows you to visually see how you compare to other OPHS students who have applied to these colleges based on your grade point average and ACT or SAT score.

• Acceptance history & college maps: Check out these links to see how many OPHS students have applied, been admitted, and are now attending specific colleges and universities around the United States. FYI - Since last year was the first year for OPHS using Naviance, its data base only has historical GPA and test score information from the class of 2009. However, we do have comprehensive statistics going back to 2008 at the: Senior Post Graduation Surveys link on our website.

• Enrichment programs: Students should look forward to the summer as an opportunity to pursue interesting, challenging summer courses, or internships, jobs, travel or other engaging activities. These are important components to a student’s resume and there is a huge array of options available to students. To help you find the right opportunity, check out the wide range of programs posted at this link. The most reputable and useful have been linked to this page.

my colleges - As you find colleges that interest you, you will add them to your personallist and begin to research the schools in more detail in this section.

• Colleges I'm thinking about is the section where you save colleges initially while you research them before deciding to apply, or not.

• Colleges I'm applying to is the section you move the colleges to that you've actually decided to apply to. Once you have moved schools to this category section Naviance will help you track the status of all the application milestones for each college.

Careers:

What are my interests? - in this section students will complete the personality typeassessment, and the career interest profiler.

Explore careers - Once students have completed the two assessments they will be able toexplore their favorite careers by cluster type.

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about me:

Interesting things about me - This section pulls everything together that students haveresearched for the start of their Senior Year. This section will be their point of referencethroughout the Senior Year to monitor the application process from beginning to end. Itincludes links to: favorite colleges, favorite careers and clusters, personality type, journal,game plan, resume, test scores, and all completed surveys.

Official things - Students should make sure that the following items have been completedprior to the start of their Senior Year - profile, account, test scores.

• This section also includes school-generated surveys & resumes that will be required ofall students during their senior year: counselor's resume, teacher's resume, graduation survey &graduation survey (part 2).

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MORE IMPORTANTINFORMATION…

…SEE BELOW!!!

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Dear Parents and Community Members,When I go outside I can’t believe that it’s the

middle of February. Who knows what the weather willbe like by the time you read this. That’s sort of whatit’s like being in education lately. Every time we thinkthat we have a pretty good idea of what’s coming andwhere we will be next year, or even later this year, itchanges. Unfortunately many of the changes are not toour benefit.

With the latest round of budget cuts it becameobvious that we had to take some action immediately.At the February Board Meeting we voted for anothersmall increase in the number of District of Choicestudents to accept for next year and also to increaseclass size minimally. This action is a district wide oneand will keep our secondary students in classes still wellbelow the sizes in our neighboring districts. We knowthat we will have to make additional cuts before schoolbegins next fall and possibly during that school year.We as a board and the staff are certainly not happyabout these changes but they are necessary for ourdistrict’s wellbeing. It is our intent to reverse theseactions in future years when the state budget ishealthier.

Even with this dreary budget news our districtcontinues to thrive and serve our students well. I don’tknow if all of you realize what an amazing staff wehave. Everyone from the Superintendent to thecustodians has the best for all students in mind every

day and it shows. Our parents continue to volunteerand give, give, give of themselves. Our FebruaryPartners in Education Award went to Debbie Cleary,a Medea Creek parent who exemplifies this. We alsohonored Sharon Lavene, a Medea Creek teacher forreceiving her GATE Teacher Certification and wehonored the school counselors at all levels for theircontinuing good works.

There are parenting classes available and ourcounselors are also currently running programs forboth students and parents addressing depression andit’s many accompaniments. I do hope that many ofyou take advantage of these excellent programs.

Our students participated in and enjoyed SharkWeek with Dr. Knight and guest speakers. At OakPark High School we had outstanding performancesof The Odd Couple and the students are preparing forthe Mock Trial. Medea Creek students are preparingfor our first History Day Competition on March 19thand we received the results of statewide physical fitnesstests and found that our students outperformed thestate and county averages. These are just a fewexamples of the types of things going on in our schoolsevery day.

Until next month my best to all of you,– Jan Iceland

OPUSD Board President

News from OPUSD Board President

Athletic Booster Club Scholarships

The Athletic Booster Club will be providing two (2) $1,000 scholarships this year tograduating seniors. Students interested in applying for these scholarships will need tosubmit an Oak Park High School Common Scholarship application, provide a copy of

their transcript, and a 2-page essay describing how athletics, and their uniqueexperiences at Oak Park High School, have benefitted them individually.

Please contact the College and Career Center to obtain a copy of the scholarshipapplication. The application and supplemental documents will be due Wednesday,

April 18, 2012 by 12:30pm.

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