Next on the calendar is Homecoming weekend. The football game is Friday, November 1. A semi-formal dance will follow. Dates are not required -- students often attend with a group of friends. If you would like to help with the freshmen homecoming float, contact the freshmen class president, Kip Eischen at 454-3081 x247. A flatbed truck is needed, so please contact your parent rep if you are willing to loan one to the class.

Your 9th Grade Reps —

Candace Person 456-2635

Maggie Cummings 456-2556

Jackie Helm 454-4962

Gina Hixson 454-9681

Lynn Sauer 454-8720

Pam Smith 454-6625

Sophomores – Class of '05

The sophomores are planning a Peter Pan Homecoming float. If you have an appropriate costume, please contact sophomore class president, David Peck, at 454-3081 x247. The first in-school class fundraiser will most likely be a bake sale. Papa John's Pizza coupons will be sold before the holidays -- please support our class and buy some coupons!

Your 10th Grade Reps —

Genie Bell 453-0847

Karen Giffin 619-692-4004

Lorraine Mautner 581-0548

Cheryl McGrory 456-0570

Kris McMillan 551-5531

Yvonne Oberle 459-1699

Maria Robinson 729-0464

Ellen Sacks 457-2608

Nancee Schwartz 456-7993

Maryfaith Schweithardt 614-0224

Sandy Smith 454-8674

Juniors - Class of ’04

Now that we are into the school year, it’s time to think about fall activities. First, if you haven’t already done so, remember to sign up in the Guidance and Counseling Center for the PSAT, which will be given at school on Saturday, October 19. The deadline for registration is Friday, October 11, and the cost is $17 (checks payable to La Jolla High School). While the test is optional, it’s good practice for the SAT I exam, and National Merit Awards are based upon results of this test when taken in the junior year. Also, remember to check dates and deadlines for upcoming SAT I, SAT II, and ACT tests. If you have questions, check the web site www.collegeboard.com, or check with your student’s guidance counselor.

It’s also time to start thinking about college visits. Representatives from various schools will be on campus throughout the fall – your student can attend up to five visits; see the calendar and sign-up sheets in the Guidance and Counseling Center.

The Homecoming game and parade will take place on Friday, November 1, and the Homecoming dance is on Saturday, November 2. Encourage your junior to attend, with or without a date.

Finally, if you weren’t able to attend the Open House last month to meet your child’s teachers, be sure to consider coming to Parent Visitation Day on October 16. After checking in at the office, you may visit any classroom on campus. It’s a great opportunity to see our exceptional teachers in action!

If you have any questions or would like to help in any way, please feel free to contact any of us.

Your 11th Grade Reps —

Lisa Braun-Glazer 454-4992

Trish Billings 488-4516

Susanna Flaster 459-0470

Loretto Garver 459-8936

Karen Giffin 619-692-4004

Liz Lindenfeld 454-1242

Kris McMillan 551-5531

Susan McClellan 459-2244

Caroline Nierenberg 558-9179

Julie Skrdla 459-1823

Seniors – Class of '03

Senior year is off to a great start. If you couldn’t attend Open House, you can still attend Parent
Visitation Day at the school on October 16. Use the schedule in the office and you can even observe your student’s teachers without being in your student’s actual class. (It takes some creativity, but it is possible.)

Don’t forget those senior ads for the yearbook. It’s a memory that will last a lifetime. If you need help, contact the yearbook staff, Mr. Christensen, or Jenna Barth, at 454-3081 x 233.

Homecoming, with a Fantasyland theme, will be on November 1. If you’d like to help with the senior float, let one of us know. We really need help with serving food in the Snack Shack during home football games – October 11 and 25 and November 1 and 7. We need an especially large and enthusiastic crew for Homecoming, November 1 from 6:30 -- 9:30 p.m. It’s fun, and all the money raised goes to the senior class so that senior dues can be as low as possible. Please contact one of the reps listed below to volunteer.

It's time to put into high gear the "college quest."

· Sign up now for a final try at the fall SAT and ACT exams.

· There is a calendar in the counseling area for college representatives who will be visiting the LJHS campus this fall. Seniors can sign up to attend five sessions. Have them go in and sign up early.

· Counselors will be visiting all senior English classes in October to discuss with students what they need to do to apply to colleges.

· There is a college check-off list available for parents and students in the counseling office. If you have specific questions, make an appointment now with your student’s counselor.
Good luck!

Your 12th Grade Reps —

Genie Bell 453-0847

Sandy Dinnsen 459-2211

Maria Fischer 488-4003

Carol Kramer 546-1474

Candace Person 456-2635

Torrie Schiller 454-8138

Cindy Tindaro 272-0380

Clare Wells 276-8037

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From the Library Media Center (LMC)

Help for You when Your Child's Well-Being may be On the Line

I received the following email about a web site that could prove invaluable to some of you at times. Even if you don't need this resource now — or think you ever will — it's the kind of thing you might want to file just in case.

notMYkid.org (www.notmykid.org), a nonprofit organization, offers various tools and resources for parents struggling with their children’s “youth behavioral health issues including substance abuse, ADHD, lying, suicide, and depression.” In addition to numerous articles and a “drug slang” glossary, it includes a private, free, and secure online questionnaire [for parents to complete] which provides concrete solutions. We also make appropriate recommendations to alleviate the symptoms of the problem… It is the aim of notMYkid.org to comprehensively assist parents when they need help… Through the generosity of a donor, you will incur no cost for unlimited use of this service.

Web sites to Help You and Your Student find Good Web Sites

No, that headline is not a palindrome or brain teaser. Here are three sites that focus on all kinds of kids-and-the-internet issues… including selected lists of web sites professionally-selected as particularly useful to students. These were all recommended in the Jan./Feb. ’01 issue of Knowledge Quest, a journal of the American Association of School Librarians, so you can trust that they’re high quality. These could be the basis of some great “quality time” sessions for you and your son/daughter to spend online together:

The Children's Partnership:
www.childrenspartnership.org/

Great Sites (from the American Library Assoc.)
www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites

Families Connect:
www.ala.org/ICONN/familiesconnect.html

One more site of interest:

Keeping Kids Safe: An Internet Hotlist on Safety on the Net (from PacBell's Katie Beedon) www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listsafetyoka.html

Thanks Again.

.to all parent volunteers who helped with textbook check-out in August. You worked for five hours straight on each of four days, helping ensure that the students got their textbooks before classes began.

Because of your help, the process went smoothly and we got it done together. I've said it before but I have to say it again: we couldn't do it without you! Lynn
Holland, Debra David, and I thank you!

Steve Grant

Library Media Teacher

LMC Online Subscription Databases

For those of you who are new to La Jolla High (and as a review for the rest), the LMC budget provides for four databases for student research that are accessible from home computers as well as from computers on campus. Unlike the “web at large,” these provide only quality information from known sources — periodicals, reference books, news-related TV and radio broadcasts, etc. — and are specially designed for student research.

Under the terms of the subscriptions, LJHS parents are allowed to use them as well… and I encourage you to take each for a “test drive” to get a feel for the astonishing amount of information they contain. If you’re taking a class yourself and need to do research, you’ll definitely want to check them out (pun intended… but you don’t have to worry about overdue fines!). You should also encourage your son/daughter to use them for research; this is exactly the kind of resource colleges are providing to their students and with which they expect them to be familiar.

Log-ins for home access cannot be published here, but they’re listed on a one-page handout available to students (and you) in the LMC. One change this year is that we’ve upgraded our previous Electric Library Plus to bigchalk Library. We’ve also added a subscription to NoodleBib, the online interactive bibliography generator. For descriptions of, and links to, each of these subscription-based resources, go to the LMC home page at ljhs.sandi.net/departments/library, then click "LMC Subscription Databases.”

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News & Notices

Parent Visitation Day Wednesday, October 16

See for yourself what your student experiences in class. Check in at the office, and then visit any classroom on campus during school hours, 7:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. With a little planning, you can even visit your child's teachers during periods when your child is in another class!

GATE Parent Meeting: Wednesday, October 16

You are invited to attend the annual meeting for parents of GATE cluster and seminar students who attend public schools in La Jolla. The meeting is October 16 at 2:30 p.m. in the library at LJHS (following Parent Visitation Day — see above). The district has new guidelines for the GATE program and this meeting should be informative.

Jamie Ginsberg, GATE DAC representative

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Thanks for Help with Registration

Thank you so much, PTA parents, for your wonderful help during registration. Without you, we would still be in line making copies and checking addresses! Each team was so cooperative and pleasant, and I am forever grateful. I know we will all have a great year. Most sincerely,

Nancy Dowlen

Attendance and Enrollment

From the Registration Chairs

A huge thank you to the 180 parent volunteers who showed up during registration week to help run the stations. What a success it was! Parental involvement like this is what helps make La Jolla High School such a great school.

A special thank you to Nancy Botkin, Eva Borgstrom, Connie Easley, and Candace Person for coming all four days and overseeing a station. You really helped everything run smoothly.

Kudos also to the Link Crew students. Freshman registration day went great -- thanks to you.

Hope to see you all again next year!

Terry Cooper

Sandy Dinnsen

Bee Mittermiller

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Governance Board

At the Governance committee meeting in August officers for 2002-2003 were elected. Carole LeCren is Chairperson, and Melissa Cunningham is Vice Chair.

The following issues were discussed: communication - information to be put on school web site in the future; fire/evacuation drill to be held during first month of school; submission of evaluation criteria of Mr. Shelburne to Mr. Bersin; master calendar conflicts; governance document to be followed at present time; status of athlete residence issues; and pilot programs. There was also a meeting on Tuesday, September 24; details of the meeting were not available as this newsletter “went to print.”

Attendance at Governance meetings is open to all interested persons. Meetings are typically held in the Counseling Conference Room (CCR) at 2:30 p.m. on the appointed day. In the future it is hoped that the agenda will be posted on the school’s web site a few days in advance. Please contact any member of the Governance Committee to give input for new business. Your PTA representatives are Melissa Cunningham 456-7453, Jane Jones 274-1251, Patricia Nussbaum 454-0661, Diana Sonderegger 619-584-0299, and Kathleen Steele 272-0604. Refer to the August/September Newsletter for more information on Governance and a full list of members.

Schedule of remaining meetings: October 22, November 26, December 17 (tentative), January 28, February 25, March 25, April 22, and May 27.

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Holidays and Minimum Days

Wed. Oct. 2 MINIMUM DAY—Dismissal 11:40 a.m.

Wed. Nov. 6 MINIMUM DAY—Dismissal 11:40 a.m.

Fri. Nov. 8 NO SCHOOL—Staff Development Day

Mon. Nov. 11 NO SCHOOL—Veterans Day observed

Thurs. & Fri. Nov. 28&29 NO SCHOOL—Thanksgiving Holiday

Attendance Office Reminder

Parents, if your student will be absent, please remember to phone the attendance office as soon as possible. Also, please be sure to call in advance for blue slips (needed for appointments, early dismissals or other short-term absences.) Thank you,

LJHS Attendance Office 454-3081 x203 or 204

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ASB News

The most important activity that the ASB will be working on in October is Homecoming! Homecoming Spirit Week will be October 28 – November 1, and the Homecoming Pep Rally will be held before lunch on
November 1.

The ASB executive council members, listed below, are the ASB members with whom students can talk if they have important issues to discuss with the Associated Student Body.

President: Soraya Gheissari

Vice President: Paul Abelkop

Representative at Large: JB Schiller

Treasurer: Cindy Wallace

Secretary: Cristina Guidi

Senior President: Alex Fortes

Junior President: Leah Burke

Sophomore President: David Peck

Freshmen President: Kip Eischen

Soraya Gheissari, Associated Student Body President 2002-03

Honor Your Senior in the Yearbook!

Buy your senior ad for the Yearbook! Parents (and students), now is the time to honor your senior with a senior ad. The deadline is November 1.

To have our staff help you create your ad, or for more information, call us at 454-3081 x233 between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Please ask for Jenna Barth, Chris Bielinski, or Mr. Christensen.

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Full Circle Theatre Company

in association with LJHS Drama Department presents the California Premiere of

Pets! A new musical review

Performance dates and times:

October 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 at 8:00 pm

October 13, 20, 27 at 2:00 pm

Place: Parker Community Auditorium, 750 Nautilus Street, La Jolla, CA

For information, tickets, & reservations: 619-583-1320 or 454-3081 x150

Pets! is a song- and dance-filled cabaret about the special relationships between pets and their humans. The menagerie of characters include a frazzled dog walker tangled in leashes, a sexy but misunderstood boa constrictor, a debonair iguana longing for love, and turtles, bunnies and guinea pigs demanding the spotlight. Heartfelt ballads include a college-bound teen and her teen-aged dog and a worried bird lover nursing her songbird. Comedy abounds with slick dance numbers featuring soft-shoeing cats, a pooch planning his pounce on an unattended bagel, a rock and roll number featuring recent "First Animals." There is a soulful homage to life-saving animals and a gutsy jazzy number about strays.

Guaranteed to entertain all ages, its subject matter is both charming and inspiring. Animal lovers and owners will recognize themselves and their animals in this fantastic musical tribute.

Full Circle Theatre (FCT) is a resident company of educators and professional artists dedicated to nurturing and exhibiting the talent of San Diego
students, young adults, and experienced theatre artists through the production of cross-generational works. Ann Lyon-Boutelle and Ginger Radenheimer, both Associate Directors of FCT, direct the production.

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The LJHS Drama Department presents

The Laramie Project

by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Company

Five performances only: Fridays & Saturdays November 15, 16, 22, and 23 — 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 24 – 2:00 p.m.

Parker Auditorium 750 Nautilus Street (LJHS campus)

Tickets: adults $10, seniors and military $8, students without ASB card $6, students with ASB card $5

The Laramie Project is LJHS Drama Department's entrant in the 2003 California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) competition. This yearly competition culminates in the CETA Festival in Fullerton in January, 2003. Three winners will be selected from approximately 50 high school entrants to perform their plays in full, and ten others will perform ten-minute scenes from their shows. It is a great honor to be selected to perform at CETA; LJHS performed a scene from Ring Around the Moon in 2001.

This intensely moving true story documents the horrendous attack on, and murder of, Matthew Shepard, a young gay college student. The Laramie Project was very well received last spring when we produced it. Parents, students, and community members hailed our production as one of the best in recent years. Our production won two "BILLIE" Critics Awards for Best Direction and Best Ensemble.

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Homecoming Game and Dance

The football game, varsity only, will be played with Lincoln Academy on Friday, November 1, at 7:00 p.m. The parade and crowning of the home-coming court will take place at halftime. Please come out and support our team!

The Homecoming Dance will be on Saturday evening, November 2.

· Students may come singly, in groups, or with a date.

· Party attire – Girls: Regular-length (not long) respectable dresses (no pants), midriff covered. Boys: Collared shirts, coat not required.

· School ID is required. Accompanying friends from other schools must have ID from their school.

Tell your student to listen for current details in upcoming school bulletins, which are read twice weekly during second period.

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Viking Band

The band has gotten off to a great start this year! We have many new students who have brought a fresh look to the band, and we can’t wait to get started with our football games! We have lots of new music to play for you, as well as some of your old favorites. We hope you heard us in our seasonal debut at Blast-Off, and we hope to see you at the other games.

Entertainment Books are for sale by one of your friendly band students or by Mr. Rodriguez in the band room (804). Hurry and get your savings today!

Everyone is welcome to attend our annual Spaghetti Dinner Night on Thursday, October 24, from 5:00 — 9:00 p.m. at Pernicano’s Pizza House, 711 Turquoise Street in Pacific Beach. Tickets are $9.00 per person, available from any band member or at the door. Proceeds will benefit the LJHS and Muirlands Middle School bands.

We have many great ideas for this year, so start the school year right and support the band!

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Science Department News

APT National Winner

Kate Wegrzyn is a national winner in the American Association of Physics Teacher photography contest. She was one of many physics and Science Team students to enter a contest last spring. The contest had students take a photo and explain the physics behind it. Kate is the top winner with her photo and explanation of cloud formations showing wave patterns.

Science Fair Update

Any student interested in doing a science fair project for judging and possible entry into the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair should already be working on it. If a student is interested, he or she may talk with any science teacher for more information or see Mr. Teachworth. Mr. Teachworth, who coordinates the school science fair, has the forms and information needed by all students. If the paperwork is not filled out before beginning the testing, the project may be rejected from the school science fair or not judged by the GSDSEF screening committee. The LJHS school fair will be screened in early February, so all projects must be completed by January 31, 2003. Contact Martin Teachworth (mteachw@adnc.com or 454-3981) for more information.

Science Team

Any student interested in becoming a mem-ber of the LJHS Science Team should contact Mr. Teachworth (mteachw@adnc.com). The Science Team allows students to attend, explore, and compete in a number of science competitions and field trips that may lead to internships during the year. Students on the Science Team may earn a grade in Science Research Techniques and earn an Academic Letter.

Blood Drive

The fall LJHS Blood Drive will take place on December 5 in the small gym. Any parent or guardian may donate. Adults need not wait in line; they get to go to the front of the line and avoid waiting. Students must be at least 17 by the donation date and meet other qualifying requirements. Contact any science teacher or Martin Teachworth (mteachw@adnc.com) to sign up to donate.

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Library Tribute Fund

I would like to make a contribution to the Library Tribute Fund.

Donor’s name

Address

Telephone Amount of donation $

In honor of (person/persons)

(occasion)

In memory of (name)

Preferred type of book (we will honor your preference if possible):

Poetry__ Science__ Biography__ History/Culture__ Fiction__

Other (please state)

You may publish my name in the PTA newsletter: Yes___ No___

Make check payable to LJHS Library Tribute Fund and mail to:
Library Tribute Fund,La Jolla High School, 750 Nautilus St., La Jolla, CA 92037.
Thank you for your support!

This year's first LJHS newsletter must have arrived on August 26 – that's the date checks began to be written to the Library Tribute Fund. Thanks to Norm and Sandy Dinssen, Betsy and Greg Mitchell, and Anonymous for such speedy generosity. Other quick givers
include Hema Lall, Kris and Jim McMillan, Wendy and Stu Segall, Judith Landau, Jan and George Keane, Paul and Ellen Sylvan, Candace Satterlee, Barbara Batterson-Rossi, and Fran and Martin Hirschbein. The Ellman family sent a donation this past summer.

We're off to a rousing start, having collected $920 before the end of the first week of school! If we continue at this rate (and it would be nice to do that.) we'll have to consider building a new library to complement the new pool! Please consider a financial gift to the
Library Tribute Fund, as our dedicated Library Media Teacher, Steve Grant, is constrained by shrinking budgets and increasing costs. Giving a book to the library is a concrete way to help educate your child and all the students at La Jolla High.

Please complete and submit the adjacent form, or call Michelle Ganon at 454-0069 with questions. Thank you in advance!

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Parents Aware - Conversations about Drugs

With the start of another school year, it's important to bring to light once again the concerns that many parents have about our youngsters’ potential for drug and alcohol use and abuse. We know the idea is to keep close with our kids, their friends, and their busy lives. Sometimes it's hard to talk about tough issues, and so here are some suggestions for keeping the lines of communication open.

The best thing about the subject is that you don't have to do it well. You simply have to try, and your kids will get the message - that you care about them, that you understand something about the conflicts they face, that you're there when they need you. The alternative is to ignore the subject, which means your kids are going to be listening to others who have strong opinions about the subject, including those who use drugs and alcohol.

Accept Rebellion

At the heart of it, drugs, alcohol, wild hairstyles, trendy clothes, ear-splitting music, and outrageous language are different ways of expressing teenage rebellion. That's not all bad. Part of growing up is to create a separate identity, apart from parents - a process which ultimately leads to feelings of self worth. A step along that path is rebellion of one kind or another - which is to say rejecting parental values and staking out new ones. You did it. They're doing it. And that's the way it is. The problem comes when kids choose paths of rebellion that hurt themselves, destroy their self worth, and can ultimately kill them. That's the reality of drug and alcohol abuse.

Don’t Get Discouraged

When you talk to your kids about drugs, it may seem as though nothing is getting through. Don't you believe it! The very fact that you say it gives it special weight. But whether or not your kids let on they've heard you, whether or not they play back your words weeks or months later, keep trying.

Start Anywhere

"Have you heard about any kids using drugs or drinking alcohol?"

"What kinds of drugs?"

"How do you feel about that?"

"Why do you think they might be getting involved with drugs?"

"Do you feel that kids put you under pressure to drink or use drugs?”

"Have you talked about any of this in school?"

However you get into the subject, you want to state exactly how strongly you feel about it, not in a threatening tone, but in matter-of-fact, unmistakably clear language.

"Drugs are a way of hurting yourself."

"I love you too much to see you getting involved in things that will hurt you."

Some Do's and Don'ts

The do's are as simple as speaking from the heart.

The biggest don't is don't do all the talking. If you listen to your kids, really listen and read between the lines, you'll learn a lot about what they think – about drinking and drugs, about themselves, about the world, about their friends, and about you. They'll also feel heard and that, too, is a step along the path towards self esteem.

If you suspect your child is drinking, or is taking drugs, then confront the subject directly, perhaps asking for
professional help from the school nurse, from your doctor, or from others who specialize in helping young people to stop substance abuse. Our kids are under tremendous pressures, and it could be very helpful to talk with others who have experience in helping young people to cope and to succeed.

The bottom line is that you should be aware of your kids and their activities. Be open. Be willing to talk. Your children need to know how you feel about the subject and that you care.

Adapted from a brochure, "Keeping Youth Drug-Free" from the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center.

http://www.co.washington.mn.us/pubhlth/aatalk.html

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----------- End of October Part2. Also see October Part 1 and October Part 3. -------------------------------