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2015-2016 - November 10, 2015
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Coach Cooley with various members of d.tech’s Cross Country team. Go Dragons! (photo by Maria Liu) (Click Image to Enlarge)

As mentioned last week, the staff has been working on design challenges to help move us toward our vision of developing students with the belief that the world can be a better place and the sense of efficacy to know that they can be the ones to make it happen.  We are working on this by trying to personalize more effectively for students who are on-pace in their classes.  This week we have what were previously called F.I.T. days on Thursday and Friday for students who are off-pace in their classes.  We are now reimagining them as opportunity days.  Based on the F.I.T. days in September, we did not have enough students get started on outside projects, so we are also providing great opportunities for students who are on-pace in their classes to do something interesting and productive.   

On Thursday and Friday, we are offering the following: a start-up workshop taught by Nico Sell (who founded 30 companies), free tickets for a field trip to the Asian Art Museum, support in implementing prototypes from design lab class from a team of product designers, band class (yes, first band practice is Nov. 13 from 1-3pm; it’s not too late to sign up), arduino programming, and art class.  Space and support will also be provided for the Yearbook Team and the Robotics Team to work.  Teachers can also use some help, so we appreciate students who volunteer to help out a d.tech teacher.  On Tuesday, we will email students who signed up to participate in these workshops, along with a workshop schedule.

We envision these days as opportunity days because students have both an opportunity to get caught up in core classes and to pursue other areas of interest.  Like always, we will evaluate this prototype and decide on a strategy for next semester.

Have a good week,

Ken

PSAT - When You’ll Get Your Score

The College Board will email you an access code to view your online score report about two months after students took the test on October 28. Teachers and counselors will see scores about a day before you do and can give you the access code if you didn’t provide an email address when you took the test.

Pathfinder Grad Prep Program

Sign-up at at http://www.nacacnet.org/college-fairs/STEM/Pages/default.aspx to receive information about a new STEM College & Career Fair piloted by the The National Association of College Admissions Counselors.

Challenge Grant - deadline is December 18

Dear Amazing Parents,

One of our parents has put out a $5000 challenge grant. They will match donations dollar for dollar up to $5000. The money raised through this challenge grant will help us hire a math aid for Ms. Mitchell's classroom. The matching funds need to be raised before winter break. You can donate any time before the end of the day on December 18!

How Do I Donate?
You can write a check made out to Design Tech High School, contribute online on our website through PayPal (click on Donate Button), or fill out the Pledge Form and make monthly (or quarterly) payments. We hope that we can count on your donation. Pledge Form Link: https://goo.gl/kaoTrK

Amazon
Did you know that you can help raise money for d.tech by shopping on Amazon? Go to smile.amazon.com, select Design Tech High School as your charity and a portion of all your Amazon purchases will go to support d.tech! Make sure to bookmark smile.amazon.com for future shopping. Purchases made through the regular Amazon site won’t count.

eScrip
Sign up for eScrip and have the merchants you patronize contribute to d.tech! Just enroll online at www.escrip.com and designate d.tech as your beneficiary organization. Have your Mollie Stone’s or other credit/debit cards handy when you log-on.

Have questions? Please contact Lisa Bernstein at blbernstein@comcast.net.

Thank you,

Namrata


d.tech Enrollment

Sibling families applying to d.tech for the fall of 2016: If you have not yet had the chance, please email Director of Enrollment Julie Abraham if your son or daughter is considering enrolling in d.tech. We want to help sibling families navigate the process, and ensure each sibling has an opportunity for a student visit. 

In a quest to find a logo for the Pathfinder Team, the Art Club was enlisted to submit their ideas. To the right is Maria McAlistair-Young's initial submission. As the artwork moves through the illustrative process, observe its evolution here!

Wish List

  • Copier Paper
 

d.tech Download

We’ve moved publication to Tuesdays to ease the weekend editorial workload of volunteers and staff. 

Lunch Helpers - Please Sign Up

Thanks to all the parents who have been helping with lunch distribution. There are many openings for the weeks of November 9 and 16.  Please consider signing up for any day(s) those weeks and earn a meal credit towards your student’s account.

Please Sign up here.

d.lab Help - Calling on Adult Volunteers

Here’s an opportunity to see what Design Lab is all about. You are invited to come on Fridays from 8:50-10:20am and help students review their design lab projects, give feedback, act as audience, help kids organize their teams, give tips, show them how to build stuff, etc. Tuesday and Thursday opportunities also available.

Please sign-up here. Stop by at the Front Office that day to check-in and to get your Teacher/location assignment. Thank you!

Fall Parent Survey

If you haven't already taken the parent survey please do so by Friday November 12th. We need your feedback to iterate on the success of d.tech! Click here to take the survey now.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015, 7pm
Peninsula Parent Speaker Series
Julie Lythcott-Haims’ "How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success"
San Mateo Performing Arts Center
600 N. Delaware, San Mateo (next to San Mateo High School)
 
Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a Stanford freshmen student dean to highlight the ways in which over-parenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Lythcott-Haims offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.
 
November 12-13^, Conditional Release Day*
^Days adjusted to Thursday/Friday since publication of school Handbook.
*Throughout the course of the school year, students who are on-pace will be given extra release days... Students who are not on-pace will attend school as scheduled and be given extra help to ensure that they stay on-pace. We will evaluate the effectiveness of this program to determine if we should continue it in second semester. (reference: Parent-Student Handbook)
 
November 17, 6-8pm
San Mateo County Civil Technology Meet-Up
Do you like tech?  Do you want to solve real problems in San Mateo County?  Here’s a link to San Mateo County Civic Technology Meet-Up.  The next Meet-Up gathering is November 17 from 6-8pm at the Human Services Agency office at 400 Harbor Blvd, Building B, in Belmont.  We are a welcoming group of community members and students interested in solving community problems through technology. There’s no requirement to know how to code, though an interest in doing & making is definitely an advantage! There will be free pizza, veggies, fruit, and drinks!
 
November 23-27, 2015
Thanksgiving Week Break
 
Saturday, March 19, 2016, 6-10pm
Annual Spring Auction and Gala
The VIBE Center at the Foster City Parks & Recreation Center
670 Shell Blvd., Foster City
 
Extra Student Opportunities
These are events and programs which may be of interest to d.tech families.  Some are not school-sponsored or affiliated with Design Tech High School. We will be explicit with the information we have
 
Starting November 13, 2015

Band for Today - Afterschool Music Program available at d.tech
See details in the d.tech “Band for Today” flyer
Wednesdays - Beginners at 2:30-4:00pm
Fridays - Int/Adv at 1:00-3:00pm
www.bandfortoday.com
 
November 23, 2015
Share Path Academy offering Upcoming Spanish Course
Classroom site on 42nd Avenue in San Mateo
 
The class will be a 90-minute session on Mondays from 4:30-6:00 pm. The goals of the class are enhancing vocabulary, increasing literacy, and gaining confidence and personal ownership of the Spanish language. Activities will include oral presentations, current events reading and discussion, listening activities with music, poetry, reading, and writing, and common conversation skill practice. I am open to the students helping to plan part of the course, as far as their specific homework and/or exam needs.  Any high school age student is welcome but the focus is on freshmen and sophomores. This will be a mid-level course (equivalent to Span. 2 or 3), but can be adjusted as needed. The fee is $200 per month. Class start date will be November 23.
 
Please e-mail Erin McCoy at erin@sharepathacademy.com with any questions that you may have and if you are interested in having your child participate in this course.
 
January 8-10, 2016
New Coder Camp at Stanford
d.tech students have been invited to apply for this three-day deep-dive with professional programmers, game designers, and artists. Application deadline: Nov. 30. Twenty (20) student limit.  Details: http://www.newcodercamp.com/

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